A civil-rights issue hinges on the casting choice for a version of "Annie"; a child-custody battle turns ugly; an adultery case involves Crane.

A client of Crane, Poole & Schmidt want to build a shopping mall on an area where salmon are spawning and Denny’s son is the environmental lawyer defending the area. Alan and Lori take a sexual harassment case and learn that Christine, whom he recently helped get released from a mental institution and who he now fears is stalking him, is opposing counsel. Sally has her first trial case where she defends a man who is accused of stealing a wallet.

Seniors take on a drug firm in a class-action case handled by the grandstanding Crane. Also: revenge motives are raised in a murder trial; and medical ethics are at issue in a civil suit.

Brad becomes attracted to his client who being sued for having a relationship with her boss merely for financial purposes. To make matters more difficult, Brad convinces himself that she is lying about her being a lesbian. Alan is asked to second chair on Denny's trial case where a doctor is being sued for prescribing a drug that has not been FDA approved. While working on that, Denny is on a personal mission to prove that he is a competent attorney. Meanwhile, the staff tries to deal with Alan's out-spoken new assistant, Catherine Piper.

The firm takes on two milestone cases. First, Shirley and Denise represent Christian and Wiccan parents who are outraged by a public school's Halloween celebrations, but the case takes a turn for the worse when the clients begin arguing amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Denny and Alan's friendship is tested when Alan helps Cassie sue the US military for the loss of her brother.

Alan and Denny defend a man charged with murder after he euthanized his wife with Alzheimers.

Meanwhile, long-lost family members return when Shirley's ex-husband asks her to be "best man" at his wedding and Paul tracks down his estranged daughter.

When Denny shoots his therapist in self-defense, the senior partners, fed up with his rogue behavior, begin to enact plans to remove him from the firm.

Meanwhile, Alan enlists the help of Chelina in a racially-charged case involving a black man being arrested for being in a white neighborhood, and Brad asks Denise to teach him to be a better kisser.

Shirley finds herself attracting the attention of the eccentric Lincoln Meyer; Denny, Bella and Bethany prepare themselves for the results of his paternity test; and Alan helps Jerry with his defense in a difficult murder case.

Lincoln's obsession with Shirley takes a dangerous turn; Jerry and Alan's collaboration in a murder trial leads to a scotch-and-cigar session, which makes Denny jealous.

At the courthouse, Alan runs into an old flame and coworker, who's looking very guilty in a bloody wedding gown; Claire reluctantly defends a cell-phone thief; and Denny's prejudices are driving a wedge between him and Bethany.

Shirley defends the notorious Catherine Piper after she accidentally blows up her doctor. Meanwhile, Alan and Denny take a break from the office, but they are out of their element at a dude ranch in Utah.